Tack-lifter



(No Model.)

H. 0. DETERT.

TACK LIFTER.

N 0. 561,499. Patented June 2, 1896.

IIVVE/VTOH j 95. QM

ATTORNEYS.

T/VESSES:

ANDREW B GRAHAMJHOTO LITNU WASHINGTON DC NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY O. DETERT, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

TACK-LIFTER.

SPECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 561 ,499, dated June 2, 1896. Application filed November 9 1895. Serial No. 568,426. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. DETERT, of Louisville,in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in 'llack-Lifters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to tools for drawing either ordinary tacks or the double-pointed tacks generally employed for securing matting to a floor.

Tack-lifters have heretofore been made in which the blade will engage with one side of a tack only, which is liable to break the head of the tack, and in this style of lifter in order to draw a tack the handle portion of the tool must be raised, thus placing the fulcrumpoint at the extreme end of the blade and requiring a considerable power to draw a tack. \Vith this form of tack-lifter it is necessary to engage it with a tack to run the back edge of the tool against the base-board of a room, and as the base-board does not generally extend around all parts of a room, it is obvious that the tool will be of little practical use, and further, such a tool cannot be used for extracting tacks remote from a base-board. Tackextractors have also been made with two substantially parallel jaws, and in which the eX- treme point and the heel portion of the tool form the fulcrum-points, there being no floorbearing between these points. This dividing of the fulcrum is objectionable because if a tack shall not have been sufliciently loosened by the pressure on the first fulcrum the power required on the second fulcrum will be suddenly and greatly increased.

The object of my invention is to overcome.

the above-noted objections and to provide a tack-lifter that will operate successfully under all conditions, or that may be applied to a tack without regard to its location in relation to a base-board or other abutment.

I will describe a tack-lifter embodying my invention, and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi cate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing a tack-lifter embodying my invention as in use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tool. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 4 shows the tool as engaged with a matting-tack, and Fig. 5 is a section 011 the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the shank of the tool, and A is the handle thereon. From the ferrule end of the handle the shank is curved laterally to the heel portion a of the lifting-blade, and from this heel portion a the outer side of the blade is curved in the opposite direction and extended to a point a. By this construction it is obvious that when it is necessary in order to reach a tack to move the point a or any portion between a a against a base-board the handle will be sufliciently removed from the base-board to allow room for the hand of an operator.

Between the points a a the shank is widened to form the substantially vertical blade a which on the upper edge is gradually curved or tapered to the point a. On the base of the blade a and extended at substantially right angles thereto, or in a substantially horizontal direction, is a blade 13, terminating in a rounded point Z). From the point a the blade Bis inclined rearward and inward, and from the point t it is also inclined rearward and inward, forming a substantially V-shaped notch, and providing two jaws.

It will be seen that the edges of the jaws are at nearly right angles one with relation to the other, thus providing a considerable range of surface for finding and engaging with tacks. The edges of the jaws are beveled downward to an edge, and at the junction of the two jaws an enlarged opening I? may be formed to engage around the shank of a tack.

The jaw a is preferably longer than the jaw 11 and terminates in a sharp point, so that it may be inserted under the head of a tack located close to a wall, and this long jaw is particularly adapted to pulling double-pointed matting tacks, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The under side of the horizontal blade is curved longitudinally and rocker-like from the front end to the heel, thus forming what may be termed a shifting fulcrum. This feature I consider of great importance, because when a tack is engaged with any part of the jaws and the handle of the tool moved IOC downward the fulcrum-point will begin i1nmediately in the rear of the tack, and on the continued downward movement of the handle the fulcrum-point will gradually shift toward the heel, thus requiring but comparatively little power to draw a tack from start to finish.

Fig. 1 of the drawings-fully illustrates the operation of my invention, and a detail description thereof is not deemed necessary.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A tack lifter, comprising a laterallycurved shank portion, a vertical blade at the end of said shankand extended to a point, and a horizontally-disposed blade having a notch in its forward end, one edge of said notch being at substantially right angles to the other edge, whereby a broadly-diverging notch is formed, as and for the purpose specifled.

2. A tack-lifter, comprising a shank portion broadened at its end to form a vertically-disposed blade, and a horizontallydisposed blade having a notch in its front end forming diverging jaws, one of said jaws being longer than the other and extended substantially to a point, substantially as specified.

A tack-lifter, comprising a shank portion broadened at its end to form avertically-disposed plate, and a horizontally-disposed plate extended from the lower edge of the vertical plate and having a notch in its front end forming diverging jaws, the said horizontal plate being curved on its under side from front to heel to form a shifting fulcrum, substantially as specified.

4. A tack-lifter comprising a laterally-hr elined shank having a vertically-widened end portion, the side of which is inclined reversely to the incline of the shank, and a horizontallydisposed blade provided with a notch in its front end forming diverging jaws, one of which is longer than the other and extended to a point, and the under side of said horizontal plate being longitudinally c urved from end to end to form a shifting fulcrum, substantially as specified.

HENRY O. DETERT. \Vitnesses:

CHARLES L. TAYLOR, J. W. MCMULLEN. 

